


The Year the World Died - Part 1

by crod1991



Series: The Year the World Died [1]
Category: Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Gen, Merle Dixon - Freeform, Survival, Violence, Walkers, Weapons, Zombies, daryl dixon - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-10
Updated: 2013-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-08 01:42:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/755527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crod1991/pseuds/crod1991
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the apocalypse has befallen the earth and the dead are now walking the streets feeding on the living, Reina Parker finds herself stranded in rural Georgia with her childhood friend, Daryl Dixon, and his older brother, Merle. All goes well, but Reina has a strong feeling that her friends are deceiving her. Part one will be a lot shorter than part two and it takes place before Daryl and Merle join the group. Draws some influence from the new video game, “Survival Instinct” as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The End?

“So… It’s begun, huh?” my dad said, crossing his arms in front him. “Never thought I’d live to see the day!” He chuckled darkly, casting a sad look at me. “Bet you wish you woulda stayed in the ATL, huh, Reina?”

I unloaded the bed of the truck, quickly making my way toward the campsite. Avoiding the legions of cars and RVs that had somehow ended up where my dad and I usually parked. “Well, if I’d have known we’d be overtaken by squatters, I would’ve stuck with Mom!”

My dad laughed. “Hell, that old lady is turning you soft!” He grabbed the bag for the tent and the cooler stocked with beer. “Is that old bag still pushing you towards nursing school?”

I shrugged. “It’s not really her pushing me, Dad. She just wants me to do something with my life other than spending all my time in the woods with a bunch of boys!” We started to set up camp, continuing our conversation. “I mean, it’s not like those Dixon boys are good influences on me, anyways!”

My dad nodded. “True… They are nothing but trouble. But they’re like family.”

“Family doesn’t try to frame you by planting drugs on you and almost getting you arrested.” I growled under my breath. It happened two months ago. I was on my last hurrah before heading back to my mom’s in Atlanta. I’d stopped in to say hi to the Dixons and almost ended up in prison after giving Merle a ride to pick up some meth. I got away with a slap on the wrist, but Merle was hauled off to the big house. Unfortunately, that didn’t win me any cool points with the baby of the family, Daryl. Daryl was something else entirely. He and I had been close all of our lives. I didn’t have any siblings of my own, so Daryl was my idol growing up. Now, in my late twenties, I had found that living in the woods and stealing motorcycles wasn’t how I wanted to live my life. I took off to my mom’s after high school, and the rest is history. “You didn’t invite them, did you?”

My dad shook his head. “Nah… Merle’s still locked up, and Daryl said he, his father, and Jess were going hunting upstate.” He looked at me struggling with the tent. “He misses you, y’know…”

I rolled my eyes. “Did he say that or are you trying to make me feel guilty for not coming around more often to see you?” The tent collapsed and I kicked it angrily.

My dad rushed over and started to help me reassemble the structure. He shook his head again. “He didn’t… But I can tell he does. He… He asks about you every time I talk to him.”

I swallowed hard, fixing the tent up properly. “Well, damn…” I sighed. “Maybe after their trip is done, I’ll pop by for a visit.”

“He’d appreciate it.” My dad said. “It’s just too bad that they couldn’t come along with us.”

I laughed. “Oh yeah! That’s just what I need! Having to babysit four grown men while they get drunk and shoot up half the Earth’s population of deer! Great way to spend my vacation from work!” My dad chuckled. “Well, I think this son of a bitch is finally set up!”

“Yep! Looks like it.” My dad grabbed his rifle bag and said, “So, what do you say we get to the good stuff, partner?!”

I grabbed my rifle bag as well and said, “Right behind you, Pops!” We walked off into the woods together to start our day off right.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Night fell. My dad and I sat around a fire, cooking the meat of the deer we had just caught for dinner. I missed these nights. Ever since I moved to the city, I’d lost touch with nature. Sometimes I thought about how beautiful the lake sounds when you stand next to it, how great the forest smelled in the early morning hours, the sweet solitude of the woods. My mom didn’t appreciate those things. Called hunting, fishing, and camping “redneck” things to do. My dad? He got all of those things. Sure, we clashed on political beliefs and he preferred to live in a shack while I enjoyed my comfortable high rise apartment, but if there was one thing he and I had in common, it was nature.

I started to think more about Mom. I had talked to her right before Dad and I set off on our big hunting weekend in the woods. She seemed a little uneasy, warning me about being safe a lot more than usual. My mom was such a worrywart, but she seemed even more paranoid and on edge than usual. I knew she got leery whenever I went back to Dad because of the Dixons mainly. She used to say to me, “That family is nothing but a bunch of backwoods rednecks that are always up to no good. You best stay as far from them as possible, Reina.” She despised their father and thought that the two boys were even bigger messes than him. Still, she knew that they had my back if I needed them, and I think she quietly appreciated that sentiment.

“Shit!” I heard my dad exclaim. I snapped out of my thoughts to see him shaking his hand profusely.

“What happened?!” I asked jumping to my feet. I rushed over to see that my dad had burnt his hand cooking the meat. “Here. Lemme get some ice for that.” I walked over to the cooler to get some ice for his hand.

He chuckled. “Your old man must be losing his touch, huh, Reina?”

I shook my head. “Shit no! You’re still the toughest man I’ve ever met!” I pressed the cool compress to his hand. 

He used his other hand to stroke some of my hair back lovingly. “Now, where would I be without my lil’ angel? You need to come see your dad more often.”

I nodded. “I know, but you know how Momma is.”

“Fuck her!” He exclaimed sharply. “She’s just gonna keep finding a way to back your old man into a corner! Well, I ain’t goin’ down without a fight, babygirl! You best believe that!”

I laughed. “Dad, I’m twenty-eight years old now. There’s really no need for the two of you to battle for my attention anymore!” I rubbed the back of his head. “Besides, you know I love coming out here to the woods with you and living off the land every now and then. I’ll be back again in a few weeks! Don’t you worry!”

He nodded again. “Alright, Princess…” He trailed off staring at me for a moment. “I still can’t get over how big you’ve gotten. How beautiful you are. I hope them city boys ain’t taking advantage of my lil’ girl!”

I shook my head. My dad liked to pretend that I had all the boys after me, but in reality, I spent most of my time working and studying. I had hardly any time for a man in my life. Besides, even if I did have the time, there was only one man I was interested in to begin with. “No, Daddy. I’m usually too busy to date anyways.”

“That’s a shame…” He muttered. “I keep wondering when you’re gonna give me a grandson!”

I chuckled. “If I ever find that right man, you’ll get him or her, OK?”

He laughed again. “Alright… Well, I think this is just about right. You ready to eat?”

I nodded. “Starving!”

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next morning started off simply. After a quick hunt, Dad and I packed up camp and started to head out. However, for the first time since I was a kid, the place was near impossible to maneuver through. “Jeez! This is insanity!” I exclaimed as we sat through bumper to bumper traffic.

My father nodded, still visibly tired from the long weekend we had. “I wonder what’s got all these people bowed up like this…”

I shrugged. “Maybe it’s a holiday or something.”

“Could be…” My dad muttered. He leaned his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. “Man, do I feel old!”

I chuckled looking at him. “Now, why is that?”

He shrugged next. “I don’t know. I must be getting too old to keep up with my little girl.” All was quiet in the car for about a minute. Then my dad said, “I had the strangest dream last night… Gotten me all shook up. I don’t usually have dreams, but this one…”

“What happened?” I inquired.

He sighed. “I dreamt you… you were alone. You were out in the woods. Something was chasing you.” I looked at him. He looked a lot more worn out than usual. His skin was extremely pale. His eyes growing dark. He didn’t look back at me. He just stared out of the window like I wasn’t there. “I couldn’t see what it was. It chased you and you ran deeper and deeper into the forest. That’s all I can remember.”

I swallowed hard. “It’s just a dream, Daddy. I ain’t going nowhere but back home to Momma.”

He nodded. “I know babydoll. I just got this strange feeling now…”

“Like what?” I asked quietly. I turned to look at him and saw his eyes fixated on me. I nearly jumped back out of my seat when I saw him. His stare was so intense, so strong, and he actually looked as though he was about to cry. He didn’t speak for the longest time. He just stared at me. The next thing I heard were screams coming from in front of me. I turned my head to look out of the window and saw people exiting their cars, trying to grab as much of their stuff and get their kids as fast as they could. They all ran past the truck in the opposite direction like a flock of birds flying away from a deadly predator. I couldn’t see what had happened at first, but once I did see it; my eyes wouldn’t let me believe it.

At first, it looked just like a man, but he was walking all crooked. His clothes were tattered as well. I couldn’t see his face, though. I thought maybe he was a panicked camper who was injured, but as he got closer to the cars in front of us, I immediately sensed that something was wrong. As he peered into one of the cars, I saw the passenger’s side door open and a young woman, not much older than myself, crawl out. She tried to run, but more people appeared. I thought that they were going to help her, but one of them grabbed her and bit her. I couldn’t look away from the people tearing her flesh from her bones. Her horrified face froze in my mind and her screams became progressively louder as the scene played out. I watched these… things tear this girl limb from limb… and eat her.

My brain instantly kicked into survival mode. I put the car in park and started to reach in the back of the truck. I barely noticed my dad, staring catatonically at the monsters tearing her apart. I grabbed our rifles, some knives, and a machete my dad always carried to cut bigger branches on our hunting trips. I handed my dad his rifle, but he didn’t grab it. “Daddy… Listen to me… We’ve got to get out of here, OK? We’re gonna get out and we’re gonna be fine… And we’re gonna go home and forget what we just saw, OK, Daddy?”

My dad shook his head. “I can’t… Go on without me. I ain’t got no fight left in me, darling.”

I nearly slapped him. “You’re not going down like this, Dad. Whatever those creatures are, they will kill us if we don’t get out of here NOW. Let’s go!”

He seemed to snap out of his trance. “Bullets… We need bullets, girl! Bullets!”

I searched through my bag, but we were clear out of them. “Shit! I think I left the rest of them in my other bag!”

“Well, where is it, Reina?!” He nearly screamed at me. “We gotta do something! They’re moving!”

I started to think. “Damnit! They’re in the bed! I have to go out there and get them!” I started to open the door, but my dad grabbed my arm. “What?!”

He shook his head again. “I’m not letting you go out there alone without any ammo.” He took out his pistol and loaded it. “You go. I’ll cover for you, just in case they come after you.”

I pleaded to him. “No! No, Daddy. I won’t let you!”

“There’s no time for this, Reina!” He grabbed my face. “Now, you listen to me… Sh-should anything… Happen to me…” He swallowed hard, fighting the tears that I knew were coming. “Should anything happen to me… Find Daryl.” I nodded. “Find him and… a-and stay with him until everything gets sorted out and you can get back to your mother, OK?”

I nodded again. “Nothing’s gonna happen to you, Daddy. We’re gonna be fine. We’re gonna get out of this.”

“Promise me!” He shouted. The tears that were forming in the corners of my eyes made their way to the surface and began trickling down my face. “Just… humor your ol’ man and tell me that you’ll stay with Dixon until everything settles down. OK, Princess?”

“S-same…” I swallowed my emotions. “Same to you. If something happens to me, find the boys and stick with them. Deal?” I held my hand out.

My dad smiled at me and shook my hand. “Now, enough blubbering! We gotta go get that bag!” He cocked his gun and said, “On three. One… Two… Three!”

We both jumped out of the car as fast as possible. The biters had disappeared, leaving only bloody messes of bodies behind. It was all I could do to keep myself from blowing chunks. I peeked around the side of the car and whispered to my dad hurriedly, “Is it clear?”

For a long moment, I heard nothing from his side. I thought maybe one of those things had gotten him. Finally, I heard his gruff voice from the opposite side of the truck. “It’s clear, babygirl. Get a move on!”

I clutched the machete tightly, running to the bed of the truck. My dad crossed from the other side, pistol aimed at the trees, waiting for the biters to reappear. I hopped in the back of the truck and grabbed my other bag. I then started to grab other supplies from the other bags. First aid, food, water, flashlight, and of course, the tent.

“You finished yet?” I heard my dad’s voice whisper.

I nodded, though he couldn’t see me. “Almost done, Daddy. I just want to grab a couple of thing be-” The next sound I heard was a scream. I looked down to see one of the biters on top of my daddy, eating away at his neck. 

I jumped down from the truck, whipping my machete out. I stabbed the biter in the side of the head and watched as he fell to the ground. I turned around, making sure that there were no more around. A few more were headed my way. I didn’t have time to reload the rifles, so I just ran towards them, decapitating each one that got in my way. 

When the area seemed safe again, I ran over to my father to see him holding onto his neck and coughing up blood. “Daddy…” I whispered.

He smiled up at me. “There’s my little princess…” 

“Daddy?” I asked through tears. “What’s happening to you?” He just smiled sadly at me. I shook my head frantically. “No. No, no, no, no, no. I can get you to a hospital.” I jumped to my feet, placing my hands beneath him to try and lift him up. “Come on, Dad. Get up.”

He coughed lightly. “Reina… I’m so sorry, darling. I…” He got quiet.

I looked up at his face. His eyes were empty; completely void of life. The blood stained the side of his face. I touched him, but he didn’t move. I shook him softly. I shook him harder. I started to give him CPR, just hoping and praying that he would wake up. “Daddy!” I wailed. “No, Daddy! Please don’t leave me! Please don’t go, Daddy! Don’t leave me here alone!” Tears streamed down my face, hitting his lifeless form like rain. I sobbed, holding him in my arms. “Daddy…” I whispered. “Please wake up. Wake up, Dad. We’ve gotta go. Please.”

He started to twitch. A smile crossed my lips. He must’ve just passed out from fatigue or something. Maybe slight blood loss. “I knew you were OK, Dad.” I sighed loudly. He started to look around wildly, as though he didn’t recognize his surroundings. His breathing was extremely labored and heavy. I had to get him out of here before his condition worsened. “I’m gonna get you to the hospital, OK, Daddy?”

I stood, reaching down to help him up, when suddenly, he growled at me. I looked at him and realized that his eyes were now completely empty. They had changed from dark blue to almost white. He sat up, flailing about. Reaching for me. I looked down at him and said, “Daddy… It’s Reina. I’m here. It’s OK.” He growled even more ferociously, grabbing at my shirt. That’s when it hit me. When everything started to make sense.

The dead were walking…

I watched as my dad attempted to climb to his feet. I stepped back slowly. When he finally managed to get to his feet, he stared at me. He shuffled forward slowly, then quicker, picking up the pace. His growls became more intense and terrifying as he approached me. I raised the pistol I had slipped out of his hand to his head… And pulled the trigger.

I couldn’t watch as my dad’s body flopped to the floor. I couldn’t look at his undead face lying there with all of its ferociousness. My dad was dead. Really dead. And there was nothing I could do about it. I dropped to my knees, careful not to scream. I started to cry not only for Dad, but for what I had just witnessed. The dead were alive again. They were combing the forests looking for food. They were killing the living and eating them and if you weren’t lucky, you’d become one of them. It wasn’t safe here; I knew this. I knew I had to keep the promise I made to Dad and find the boys, but if this was the current state of the world, finding the Dixons could be a moot cause. I had to find a way to safety. Alone, scared; there was only one explanation. I had survived the end of the world…

So far…


	2. The Dixon Boys Are Back In Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few hours after the untimely death of her father, Reina finds herself stranded in the wild, until she encounters some old, familiar faces that just may be the answer to her prayers.

Atlanta… I had to get back to Atlanta. That’s all I kept thinking of as I walked through the forest, trying to find my way back to the street. I had run into a few more walkers during my travels, but I managed to get out OK. I was starting to get a cold and fatigue was weighing me down. I had to abandon some of my supplies in order to keep moving.

The entire time that I was walking, I kept thinking about the promise I’d made to my dad. Even if Merle and Daryl were alive, who’s to say they weren’t clear across state lines by now? Those boys were resourceful, kings of the wilderness. Why, Daryl ran away from home once and survived only off of berries for days. And even if they were still in Georgia, why should I even think for a second that they’d let me join them?

A memory came into my mind. I was eight years old. Just a kid, wanting to go play with the big boys. “Where are you guys going?” I heard my childlike voice say. I watched as Merle and Daryl packed up guns. They were both young men, unruly and fearsome, but I wanted to be wherever they were.

Merle looked down at me and said, “We’re going out hunting. Gotta do something with my baby brother before they lock me up again!”

I perked up. “Hunting?! I wanna come, too, Merle! Can I come? Oh please, oh please, oh please?!”

Daryl rolled his eyes. “Oh, just let her come with us, Merle!” He turned to me. “Hey, kid! You any good with a rifle?”

I nodded, excited that Daryl was talking to me. “Oh yes, sir! My daddy taught me how to shoot an’ everythin’! Can I please come with you guys?!”

“Oh no!” Merle shouted, while shaking his head. “You ain’t comin’ with us, girlie!”

I pouted, feeling a full blown tantrum coming on. “Why not?!”

Daryl nodded. “Yeah. Why can’t she come?”  
Merle cocked his rifle, aiming it at me. “Because, baby bro!” He pulled the trigger, but the gun was thankfully empty. “Girls. Can’t. Hunt!” He crouched down in front of me. “So, why don’t you just go play tea party and play with your Barbie dolls and leave the guns and the hunting to the men, OK, Sweet Pea?”

My bottom lip jutted out and began to quiver. As I turned and ran back to my house to cry, I heard Merle shout, “That’s right, Reina! Go run on home and cry to your momma!”

The memory faded into present day as my lungs were constricted and I began to cough. I knew it was stupid to think that they’d let me roll with them if I did find them. Even though Daryl was always quick to include me, he always listened to what Merle said. So, if Merle said no, it meant no. There was no arguing the point, and Daryl was no exception. Chances are, Merle would see me as dead weight and send me packing.

This was stupid, I thought. I just watched my dad die and come back to life with the intent to kill me. My main concern shouldn’t have been the Dixons. It should’ve been getting back to Atlanta to find my mom and make sure that she’s OK. To let her know that I was OK. To tell her that Dad wasn’t.

I walked for what seemed like forever before it started to get dark. My heart began to race. I couldn’t be out here alone in the dark with those things running around. Part of me thought setting the tent up and crashing for the night, but another stronger part of me thought that that was the stupidest idea ever. Not in these woods. Not alone. Not with the walkers sneaking around.

Suddenly, I noticed that there was a hole in the forest. I stared for at the space for the longest time, hoping that my eyes were deceiving me. I started walking towards the exit, praying as hard as I could that I had found the road. As I got closer, I broke into a run, tears pouring down my face. Had I finally made it out of the woods?

I stumbled, falling to the ground, where my hands hit concrete. I laughed incredulously. “Oh my god.” I whispered. “I found it. I found the road.” I jumped to my feet twirling and jumping around. “I’m safe! I found the road!” I screamed to the night sky, not realizing how bad of an idea it was to be screaming. I danced in the street happily. Nothing could break this perfect moment.

The next thing I knew, I turned around and was face to face with a bright pair of headlights. I tried to move out of the way, but the vehicle came driving right up to me. When it was about a foot away, it stopped and I could see that it was a truck. A big one at that. “Wow…” I muttered under my breath. 

“What in the hell are you doing out here in the middle of the damn road?!” The voice came from the driver’s side of the truck. When I heard that voice, I stopped in my tracks. It couldn’t be…

He walked into the light and I got a clear look at his face. Tall, muscular, and the prettiest pair of blue eyes I’d ever known only I thought I’d never see them again. He must’ve not realized that it was me because when he saw me, he stopped as well. “Reina?” He called out. “Is that you?!”

I stared at him as though he were a ghost. I couldn’t believe he was here in front of me. “It’s me.” I shouted back. “It’s me, Daryl…”

“You bit?” He asked.

I shook my head. “No.” My voice broke. “Daddy was…”

“He with you?” I didn’t respond. I just stared down at my boots, trying to choke back tears. A figure darkened my view. I looked up to see Daryl standing in front of me. “Are you OK?”

I nodded. “Merle with you?”

He nodded. “Sleeping in the truck. Found him a few days ago trapped up on the roof of the cellblock; burnt to shit. His fever’s just starting to break.” 

“What happened?” I asked quietly. “Is this happening everywhere?”

“Yeah… You didn’t know?”

I sniffled quietly. “Atlanta, too?”

He was quiet for a moment. “Nah… I don’t think so. At least that’s where Merle said to head. Said he heard that there’s some camp out there or something. Military shit. We’re heading there.” The tears were now coming in full force. “You need a ride?”

I nodded. “I need to find my mom. Please, Daryl, I’m desperate.”

“OK, OK. There’s no need for all of that.” He grabbed one of my bags. “I’ll get you to your momma, Reina.” 

Before he could turn and walk away, I grabbed him and started hugging him. “I was so scared. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to do. They just… they came and they were… and they…” I sobbed uncontrollably into Daryl’s shoulder.

“Aww… Well, isn’t this a touching reunion!” Merle’s voice chimed in from behind. “Got any love for your ol’ pal Merle, Reina?”

Daryl pushed me away and started heading back to the truck. “Go back to sleep, Merle!”

Merle chuckled. “What? Did I break up the love fest or something?! I didn’t realize that this is what you stop to do when I’m passed out! This ain’t no time for knockin’ boots, lil’ brother!”

“Man, shut up!” Daryl muttered.

“You shut up!” Merle shouted. “I’m not the dumbass that parked the car in the middle of the road with all the lights on so I could attract every last eater in the world to us now, am I?!”

Daryl whipped around. “You best shut up before _you_ attract every eater in the area to us!”

Merle laughed. “I think you’re doin’ a wonderful job of that by yourself, Daryl!”

“OK!” I said directly. “Look, I just need a ride to Atlanta. Think you guys could spare that?”

Daryl nodded at me. Merle shook his head. “What’s in it for us?”

I looked around. “I don’t have much on me, Merle.

“Yeah, but you do in that pretty lil’ apartment of yours up in the ATL, don’t you?” He said with an evil grin.

“Merle!” Daryl hissed. “Shut it!”

Merle glared at Daryl. “You stay out of this, Daryl. If it were up to you, the entire goddamn world would be in the back of this truck! I gotta make sure we get taken care of!” 

I groaned. “Look, if there’s anything left of that place, you both can loot it to your heart’s content, just please… Please get me to my mom. Get me out of this nightmare. Please!”

Daryl turned back to Merle. “Good enough for ya?!”

Merle made a face, but then nodded. “I guess it’ll have to do. Come on, let’s get outta here.” I climbed into the back of the truck. Daryl started it up and proceeded forward down the road. 

We drove along in silence for a while. I rested my head against the window, closing my eyes and starting to fall asleep. All I kept seeing were flashes of the monster’s faces in my mind. My brain refused to rest peacefully. I sat up and turned to Daryl. “Where’s your dad?” I asked quietly.

Neither of them moved to answer me for a while. Finally, Daryl spoke up quietly and said, “The eaters got him when we were hunting. That’s when it started for us.”

I closed my eyes, letting out a noise of disbelief. “And Jess?”

“Jess, too.” He turned slightly to look at me. “Anymore questions?” I shook my head slowly. He continued to drive in silence.

I sighed sadly, thinking of how hard it must’ve been for Daryl to have to watch his father and his uncle die. “I’m sorry…”

Merle scoffed. “Man, whatever! We survived! That’s all that matters!”

“But still…” I said softly. “It’s your dad, Merle. And your uncle. That’s your family.”

He put his hand on Daryl’s shoulder. “This is my family. My ol’ man and his brother woulda never came to that prison to find me after this happened. They woulda left me there to rot and die. Daryl’s the only person who ever thinks of me.”

I lied to him. “Not true.” Merle turned to look back at me. “My daddy told me to come looking for both of you. I’m sure if he wasn’t bit and he lived, he would’ve come looking for you, Merle. You were like sons to him.”

Merle smiled, chuckling lightly. “Your daddy wouldn’t of looked for me. Your daddy woulda just sent you off with Daryl here. That’s the one he trusts. And for good reason, too, Missy, ‘cause if it were just me, I woulda left you here to be eater bait.”

I scoffed. “Ugh… Fuck you, Merle!”

He continued to laugh. “You offering? Ain’t you a little too young for me? What, you’re probably about sixteen, seventeen?”

Daryl spoke again. “She’s twenty-eight, Merle.”

“Well, damn…” I heard him mutter. He turned to look back at me again with the creepiest smile I’d ever seen. “Guess you’re right in my ballpark, Missy. Too bad I don’t fuck democratic rug munchers.”

I turned to Daryl. “Where are we going?”

He shrugged. “Gonna try and make it to Atlanta like I said, but I don’t know how much gas this truck can go on. Right now, I’m just hoping we make it to the next city in one piece.”

I nodded. “Thank you… For doing this for me.”

“Well, I appreciate the courtesy, but it ain’t for you.” Daryl said harshly. “If there’s a refugee camp out there, then we’ll be able to make it outta this hell hole alive.”

Merle looked at him smiling and said, “Not to mention all the free food, booze, and cooze we can handle, right, baby brother?”

Daryl nodded. “Yeah… That, too.” He cleared his throat. “We’re just taking you to your momma as a side trip, all right?”

I nodded silently, trying my best not to cry. I mean, at least I was safe. I knew the people I was with, and I knew that they’d get me where I needed to be. Still… I couldn’t take anymore of this conversation with Merle being his usual dickhead self and Daryl talking with a chip on his shoulder like I was the biggest burden they’ve ever had to deal with. “I’m gonna try and get some sleep. Wake me up when we stop.” I sprawled out on the backseat and closed my eyes, attempting to fight back tears and nightmares. I listened to the sound of the wheels on the street for the longest time.

“So, what do you think?” I heard Daryl’s soft voice cut through the silence.

Merle laughed again. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, man. I woulda just left her out there to deal with this on her own.”

“She’s sick. I can tell.” Daryl said frantically.

There was a moment of silence before Merle spoke again. “You think she got bit?”

Daryl grumbled, “I don’t know, man. She _is_ running a fever. That much I do know.”

“So?” Merle said, loudly. “We should check her for bites!”

“I ain’t doin’ that, Merle. She’s family.” Daryl said sternly.

Merle scoffed. “Shit. I’d do it, but I’m afraid the bitch’ll claw my eyes out.” He chuckled again. “She trusts you. She’ll let you do it.”

“I don’t know…” Daryl mumbled.

“I tell you what,” Merle said quietly. “How ‘bout you check for a bite and if she’s bitten, I’ll put her down. That sound good to you?”

I could almost feel Daryl staring him down, challenging his big brother with his eyes. My heart was racing. Would Daryl really let him kill me if I’d been bitten? “That’s cruel… But all right. I’ll ask her in the morning.” He scoffed. “I just don’t see why I have to be the one to do it.”

Merle laughed while saying, “You have to do it, man, ‘cause she’s got a lil’ thing for you, Daryl!”

“Shut up!” Daryl spat at Merle.

“Oh come on, baby brother!” Merle nearly sang. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you. You’re her knight in shining armor! Why, if you wanted to, I’m sure you could get between those pretty lil’ legs of hers and I’d get it while the gettin’s good because you could be dead by tomorrow night with the way things are going lately! Why not have a lil’ fun?”

Daryl groaned. “Stop talking about her like that, man! Let’s just… Let’s just worry about if she’s gonna be one of them or not.”

“Whatever you say…” Merle muttered. My face was burning hot in fear and embarrassment. I clutched my bag closer to my face and let a few tears come out. I knew I wasn’t bitten, but they weren’t going to be satisfied until they saw that I wasn’t. I knew it was a waste of time, but I also knew that they wanted to keep each other safe. I closed my eyes and tried to process all this new information. Eventually, my brain overloaded, and I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep, completely oblivious to the world around me. I liked it that way.


End file.
